The central theme of this study was to explore household food security situation in Girar Jarso
woreda. To do so, various data collection and analysis methods were used. The necessary data
were generated both from primary and secondary sources to answer the research question.
Hence, field observation, household survey, key informant interview and focus group discussions
were the principal means of generating primary sources of data while secondary data were
obtained from by reviewing various governmental and nongovernmental organization documents
and reports, books and academic research papers. The collected data were coded and entered
into computer software called statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and analyzed by
using various statistical techniques such as frequency, percentage, cross tabulation and Pearson
chi-square test.
The Household Food Balance Model was utilized to quantify household food availability which
indicated that the available dietary energy of households meet only 45.3 percent of the minimum
daily allowance, 2100kcal. This shows a deficiency of 54.7 percent. To this effect, 84 percent of
household faces food insecurity in which the causes are related to poor access to productive
asset/resources. Moreover, respondent’s expressed their perception on their household food
security situation. As a result, 69 percent of households are perceived as they are food insecure
while 85 percent perceived as they are non self sufficient.
Moreover, farmers perceived that the causes of household food insecurity are related to
demographic, bio-physical, socio-cultural and infrastructural, economic, political and
institutional factors. The study revealed that, high population pressure, land shortage, poor soil
fertility, soil erosion, erratic rainfall distribution, poor saving, poor food rationing, inadequate
veterinary services, low non farm income, insufficient farm holding, poor cash income, weak
rural organization, poor extension services and use of modern farm input are considered by
households as the main constraints of both the agricultural productivity and food security status
of the households.
Food insecure household in the study area develops their own coping mechanism to household
food shortage mostly by eating less preferred foods, reducing the number of meals, purchasing
foods through selling small animals, grass, kubet and firewood
Based on the findings of the study, both short term and long term actions from government
bodies, donors and households themselves to ensure household food security have been
recommended